Before becoming a comedy director, Ruganzu worked as an Executive Producer for advertising agencies big and small, including BBDO, TBWA/Chiat/Day, Barton F. Graf and Translation.
Prior to that, he was an assistant editor and post-producer at Bikini Editorial where he worked under the guidance and gentle tutelage of master editor Avi Oron. Prior, prior that, Ruganzu was a Baltimore City Police Detective (no, really), where he served as a violent crimes investigator, hostage negotiator, and police department spokesperson. Prior, prior, prior to that, he was a child and had no vocation aside from being cute.
Ruganzu’s ambitious and slightly fanatical spirit for all things funny keeps him pushing the directorial envelope. His sense of comedic timing and obsession with cinematic craft always serve the script above all else, and his years of advertising agency experience make him an excellent collaborator with creatives and clients alike.
“Epoch has an incredible reputation and after collaborating with them a number of times as an agency producer, I saw up close how this reputation was well earned,” remarked Riggs. “Epoch has a tradition of fostering and developing strong talent and invested in me early on and I couldn’t be happier to join the team.”
“During the pandemic, Riggs and I approached Melissa and Mindy at Epoch about the idea of bringing him into the directing realm,” recalled Epoch director Matt Swanson.
“Riggs is a natural — his eye for casting and natural sense of comedic timing are impeccable. We’ve learned a lot from each other, and I’m super excited to see what he does next.”
